Posted on 02/05/2011 9:01:19 AM PST by Al B.
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - Sarah Palin came here to declare that President Ronald Reagan "was one of a kind, and you're not going to find his kind again." But in a carefully-crafted speech marking Reagan's 100th birthday, the former Alaska governor drew a series of parallels -- some explicit, some implied -- between Reagan and herself, and between Reagan's time and today.
Palin was invited to speak by the Young America's Foundation, which owns and maintains Reagan's old ranch in the mountains near Santa Barbara. (The foundation is separate, and more aligned with the conservative movement, than the Reagan Presidential Library, which is also holding commemorative events this weekend.) Palin began her remarks by telling the crowd, made up largely of foundation donors, about her visit to the ranch on Friday.
"The ranch is unmistakably the home of a western conservative," Palin said. "As an Alaskan, I proudly consider myself a western conservative in the spirit of Ronald Reagan." From that starting point -- and her note that she grew up with "the values Ronald Reagan embodied" -- Palin discussed themes from Reagan's life that have unmistakable resonance for conservatives, and especially for Palin supporters, today.
Reagan was initially rejected by the establishment of the Republican Party, Palin said. He stood up against the big government of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. He delivered a hard-edged message that American voters at first rejected. And ultimately he prevailed.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
A fine and timely speech!
Excellent Speech!
The speech every other possible, potential GOP POTUS candidate wished they had given!
Lee Edwards, a Reagan biographer and fellow at the Heritage Foundation, was in the audience and took note of the fact that Palin was speaking to a strongly conservative group at the Ranch Center. She likely wouldn't be invited to speak to a more general audience at the Reagan Library, Edwards said, "because she's not a member of the establishment, and they're not comfortable with her."
"The irony," Edwards continued, "is that neither was Reagan."
Irony, indeed.
There will probably be many in the field of GOP POTUS candidates, but there is only only one viable CONSERVATIVE POTUS candidate.
Will we put up or shut up? That's the real question.
Anybody got a link to a video of the speech?
Just as Palin is, Reagan was vilified by the Bush wing of the GOP (only it was called the Rockefeller wing then).
You're exactly right.
“Hell, if Obama can be president, so can she.”
- JP
Uh oh. After Reagan made his choosing speech, America chose poorly.
The speech was so good. It had so many themes. It is hard to pick out one. I noted that at the end she mentioned defense of life, as Reagan often did in his addresses. She is not shy about being prolife or ashamed of it.
She also knows that the only big GOP victories at the Presidential level since Roe v. Wade (in 1980, 1984 and 1988) were either won by the Gipper or under his shadow, and he was the only nominee who was fullthroatedly and unapologetically prolife, as Palin is. The Bushes, Dole and McCain were always ashamed of the issue, and believed in exceptions. Both Regan and Palin were prolife without exception.
Palin’s embrace of an unapologetic, fully prolife position is another characteristic she shares with Reagan. To win big, the GOP must breathe from both its economic and social conservative lungs. Reagan knew this. So does she. The Bushes never got it. Nor did McCain and Dole. Or any of the 2012 “seven dwarf” troupe.
It was a great speech, crediting RR and tying his thoughts to todays socialist swamp. It was not a stump speech, not the time or place. Sarah admires RR strength and vision something no other repub seems to get.
The context and comparison is near perfect.
Thank you for posting the picture.
BTTT
A great and very timely speech honoring our Great President Reagan and his accomplishments.
Also with the Young America’s Foundation inviting Sarah to be the key-note speaker just when Obama and the Left are trying to assume the mantel of Reagan. LOL!
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